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Re: Florida Flagfish (Jordanella floridae)
I said:
<< Sounds like you've got a male defending a nest. >>
Catherine:
>No nests, I've had this pair for six months. They are just big >bullies.
Both of 'em (one male and one female).
Your description of behavior is in keeping with Florida Flagfish
(Jordanella floridae) FFF males exhibiting BREEDING behavior. Nests are
extremely difficult to see.
You can best spot them by guesstimating which zone the male is defending.
You are sorely mistaken in your "bully" characterization. The fish is
highly recommended by INDEPENDENT sources as a community fish in mixed
aquaria for all aquarists, providing they do not violate certain rules
which you have done.
Firstly, you've placed a pair of FFF (male and female) in a small, mixed
aquaria for 6 MONTHS and you seem to expect that they won't breed!? Get
real!! These fish breed at the drop of ANY hat! The eggs are near
impossible to detect and the young are quickly eaten by other tank
inhabitants, but what does attract attention is the males breeding behavior
as he becomes territorial.
Typical bad senerio; Male and female FFF placed in a small to med well
populated community aquaria. Male starts to breed w/ female, stakes out
territory, starts driving everyone away. Being a small tank the others
have nowhere to go and suffer casualties. Young FFF hatch and quickly get
eaten by other inhabitants despite the male FFF's best efforts. This
quickly precipitates further breeding behavior b/n male and female FFF and
this neverending cycle begins anew. THe male never calms down to a
non-territorial state, b/c he's always trying to breed. Placing a male and
female in a small, mixed aquarium was beggin' for trouble. I know you
didn't get your FFF from me b/c you would have read my site and learned
some of these rules.
Had you bought two FEMALES and placed them under those SAME conditions we
wouldn't be having this conversation. Not your fault though. A bunch of
savvy LFS have suddenly become FFF converts in the last few months mostly
directly or indirectly b/c of the discussions which yours truly helped to
spark (it's about time! Sure took 'em long enough), but they don't know
JACK about this fishes' behavior and can't give good advice on how to apply
it to a costumer's unique aquaria.
>I just felt compelled to warn others that some FFF at least are not >the
docile workhorses they are sometimes portrayed to be.
You may mean well, but you do others a disservice b/c you really don't
understand enough about what's really happening with this fish to draw
valid conclusions. You can't just ups and call the FFF "bullies" just
because they are engaging in typical breeding behaviors.
>I won't get rid of them because anyone who survives in my tank earns >the
right to be there until death, that's just my policy.
Now, I don't understand this. You are only going to perpetuate the
behavior and continue to renforce your mistaken conclusion about their true
nature. The solution is to separate male and female FFF thus, ending their
breeding cycle so the tank will at last be at peace.
Down w/ Hairy Algae! Florida FlagFish Forever!
http://floridadriftwood.com/floridaflagfish.htm